One of my earliest baking reminiscences is standing on a chair pulled as much as the kitchen counter, serving to my mother make Morning Glory Muffins. I’d grate zucchini, carrots, and apples into the blending bowl, sneaking little bites of fruit between handfuls. She all the time added an additional scoop of toasted nuts and twice as a lot vanilla because the recipe known as for.
The heat, spicy scent of cinnamon and cloves crammed the kitchen because the muffins got here out of the oven—these cozy fall mornings are nonetheless etched into my reminiscence.
All these years later, I’ve made dozens of variations of Morning Glory Muffins, however nothing beats my mother’s traditional. That stated, pumpkin bread holds a particular place in my fall baking lineup. So naturally, I needed to merge my two loves into one excellent muffin. The end result? Pumpkin Morning Glory Muffins—tender, warmly spiced, and simply the correct amount of candy. These are my final fall baking ritual.
Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Morning Glory Muffins
- Cozy fall flavors — heat pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove
- Loaded with veggies and fruit for texture and pure sweetness
- Perfect for meal prep — freeze and reheat for busy mornings
- Endlessly adaptable to what you will have readily available
These muffins are excellent for a gradual Saturday breakfast with espresso, tucked right into a lunchbox, or slathered with butter and flaky sea salt for a not-too-sweet dessert.
I almost all the time double this recipe so I can freeze a dozen muffins for rushed college mornings. Here’s learn how to freeze these for excellent outcomes:
- Let the muffins cool fully.
- Toss them in a gallon-sized ziploc.
- Freeze for as much as 2 months.
To reheat, heat within the oven at 300°F for 10 minutes or pop within the microwave till simply heat. Somewhat butter or drizzle of honey on high is perfection.
As a lunch possibility: place one in a lunchbox the evening earlier than, and so they’ll be thawed by the point lunch rolls round.
Ingredient Swaps & Variations
This recipe is extra of a system than a rulebook. If you don’t have one thing readily available, simply regulate the shredded fruit/veg ratio to maintain the feel balanced:
- No carrots? Use further apple or zucchini.
- Dried fruit: Golden raisins, chopped dates, or cranberries all work superbly.
- Nuts & seeds: Walnuts, pecans, pepitas—no matter you like. Just toast them for max taste!
- Spices: The secret to why these muffins odor (and style) like pure fall? The heat spice mix. Cinnamon brings the coziness, nutmeg provides heat, and cloves give that nostalgic, bakery-fresh aroma. Add a contact of cardamom or ginger for a fair spicier twist.
Think of it as extra of a kitchen artwork mission that’s ripe for experimentation, and lean all the way in which into the comfy vibes.
More Cozy Fall Pumpkin Recipes
Pumpkin Morning Glory Muffins deliver collectively the whole lot I really like about fall: heat spices and nourishing substances. They’re the sort of recipe you’ll make time and again—and simply would possibly turn out to be a household fave for you, too.
Description
These Pumpkin Morning Glory Muffins are the final word fall deal with.
- 3/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
- 1 stick melted butter
- 1/2 cup complete milk (or plant-based milk in the event you choose)
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 massive eggs
- 1/2 cup pumpkin purée (canned or do-it-yourself)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole-wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 medium carrots, grated
- 1 apple, grated and with further water squeezed out with a paper towel (I like to make use of Granny Smith)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted
- 1 cup chopped nuts and/or seeds, toasted (I used a mixture of slivered almonds, walnuts, and sunflower seeds—save just a few for sprinkling on high!)
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray, or use muffin liners and spray the liners.
- Soak the chopped apricots in scorching water when you prep the opposite substances.
- To the bowl of an electrical mixer, add butter, milk, brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin, and vanilla, and beat on medium till properly mixed.
- Add each flours, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and stir on the bottom setting to mix.
- Add carrots, apple, coconut, and nuts (reserve just a few for topping the muffins). Drain water from apricots and add 1/2 cup of them to the bowl. Stir to mix.
- Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups—it’ll go nearly to the highest! Sprinkle just a few extra nuts and remaining apricots over the tops of the muffins, and high each with a sprinkle of sugar for crunch.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, till a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clear. Remove from the pan and let cool on a rack. Then, retailer in an hermetic container for as much as 3 days or within the freezer for a few months. Eat up!
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 20
This submit was final up to date on October 15, 2025, to incorporate new insights.
